Quiz: can you spot the signs of a suspicious used-car ad?

Short answer: signs of a suspicious used-car ad include a price far below market, generic photos or photos from other ads, a seller who avoids visits and inspection, a request for advance payment or payment outside secure channels, confusing paperwork and a rush to close. This quiz helps you notice those signs. It is informational and is not legal advice.

How to use it

For each situation, ask: "would this make me suspicious?" Count how many of these situations appear in the ad you are assessing.

Situations to assess

1. A price far below the guide or below similar cars. Scammers use price as bait.
2. Photos with no visible plate, with another site's watermark or identical to other ads. They may have been copied.
3. A seller who only talks by message and avoids calls or visits.
4. A touching or urgent story. "I need to sell today because of a trip or illness."
5. A request for a deposit or payment before seeing the car and the documents.
6. A suggestion to pay by transfer to someone other than the owner.
7. A proposal to ship the car by carrier before payment. This scheme is common in scams.
8. Refusal to allow inspection by a mechanic or a check of the vehicle's data.
9. Documents with inconsistent data (chassis, plate, owner's name).
10. Pressure to close quickly, with "another buyer on the way".
11. A vague description, without details on mileage, history or maintenance.
12. An ad with no verifiable information about the seller.

How to interpret

• 0 to 2 signs: normal care; verify anyway.
• 3 to 5 signs: be suspicious and confirm everything before going ahead.
• 6 or more: high risk; only go ahead if you can verify everything independently.

What to do

1. See the car in person, in a public, busy place.
2. Check the paperwork and the seller's details.
3. Look up debts, restrictions and the vehicle's history with the competent bodies.
4. Have it technically inspected.
5. Prefer traceable payments, after checking everything, and formalize the sale.
6. If you were a victim of a scam, keep the evidence, notify your bank and file a report.

Counterpoints

Not every low price is a scam, and not every rush is bad faith. But the combination of several signs calls for caution. When in doubt, it is better to lose a deal than to fall for fraud.